The Nature Of Reality
by Gnome de plum
Summary: Post Eclipse Bella finds herself faced with two realities, and its upto her to figure out which one's really real. How things might be xD. AU ExB


DISCLAIMER: Anything and anyone you recognize belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just messing with their heads for a while :D

A/N This chapter is kinda confusing, so please hang on…all doubts will be clarified as the story goes on. Do tell me if it's worth continuing, or if it's total crap, and a better use of my time would be to go stuff my face with all them cookies in the kitchen. The small purple button marked "Go" at the bottom of the page should do the trick.

Chapter 1 : Oriented Times Three

Bella woke with a start.

The room was as she had remembered it, it's familiar soft white walls smiling back at her, the window bars as solid and reassuring as ever,

She walked over to the large window that took up nearly all of one wall, and leaned her forehead against the Plexiglas, looking out at the familiar rolling green lawn, dotted here and there with people in the same white uniforms, walking, talking, laughing.

So why did she still think she was in an attic bedroom in ... Forks? Where _was _Forks, anyway? She'd never even heard of the place.

It was another warm, sunny day. She revelled in the warmth of the sun on her skin, and shuddered as she remembered the endless, gloomy overcast days of Forks, where it was always windy and rainy and snowy.

She was absolutely certain she'd never survive in a place like that. She _needed the_ sun. And yet, she'd wanted to stay there. Because of Edward Cullen. A vampire.

She shook her head to shake the cobwebs of her dream away. Vampires didn't exist, any 6-year old could tell you that.

Bella came to a snap decision. She'd go to the library and do some research on Forks. She vaguely remembered hearing about it in some class or the other, but couldn't recall anything more than the name. How did her dream manage to paint it with such detail?

She reached for the door handle, and jumped back as an alarm bell jingled through the room. A moment later, the door opened, and a soft, pink-cheeked woman was beaming up at her. Her long, honey coloured hair was drawn up into a bun, with a few tendrils framing her heart-shaped face.

"Bella, love, how are you today?"

"I'm fine, thank you", replied Bella, somewhat shaken. "I just wanted to go to the library,"

"And do you know where it is?" said the nice woman, still smiling encouragingly at her.

What an odd question. As if she didn't spend most of her time at the library every day.

"Just down the hall to the left" said Bella, looking at her oddly, "where it's always been,

"Alright, Bella dear, I'll leave you to it, shall I?" And the woman marched smartly down the dimly lit corridor, to a glowing, recessed enclave in the wall.

Bella walked slowly in the other direction, toward the double-doors that led to the library.

The library was brightly lit with sunlight streaming in through the high windows, and was lined with row upon row of wall-mounted shelves. In the corner was the computer, its glowing screen proclaiming it's presence to the world.

She sat down in front of it, and typed in "Forks". A moment later, the computer pinged with two results. "A Brief History of the Olympic Peninsula", and "The Quileute Tribe".

There were Quileutes in her dream, too, although she'd never heard of them before. Jacob Black, who was a werewolf, huge and warm and...again, Bella shook her head. Werewolves didn't exist any more than vampires. It was a dream, that was all.

It was a very convincing dream, though. Could she have dreamt up Edward's cool breath, his eyes – those infinite pools of liquid ochre, his velvety soft voice, and the way it sent shivers up her spine…

"Bella?" said that same voice now.

Bella opened her eyes.

They were in the kitchen, sitting at the small, scrubbed table, waiting for Charlie to come home. They had a very important announcement to make.

Edward was looking at her with concern, his impossibly perfect face scrunched up with worry.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

"I…I don't know…it felt like…"

But whatever it felt like would have to wait for later. They heard the familiar crunch of the cruiser's tires on gravel, and then Charlie's heavy tread as he came up the garden path.

Edward took Bella's hand as they stood side by side to greet him.

"Ready?" he whispered.

"As I'll ever be" Bella whispered back.

The door slammed in the hall, and then Charlie called out "Bella, I'm home!"

It was time.

A/N Please don't forget to review, or I'll get a nasty case of writer's block, and not be able to update, ever. Don't ask me why, that's just how it works.


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